November proved to be a solid month, in terms of electricity grid utilization and output, for PPC units included on the bailout-required sale of lignite facilities, according to data provided by IPTO, the power grid operator.

The utilization rate at Megalopoli IV reached 78 percent, the highest among all lignite-fired units, Meliti I followed with 77 percent, and Megalopoli III was next with 75 percent.

PPC units covered 75.4 percent of the energy system’s overall output for the month, while Mytilineos, the country’s second biggest electricity producer, captured a 14.9 percent share – this includes a share registered by Korinthos Power, a venture in which the Mytilineos group holds a 65 percent stake – Elpedison followed with 7.5 percent, and Heron was ranked third for the month with 2.1 percent.

PPC provided 70.7 percent of the energy system’s overall output in October and 73.6 percent in September.

The power utility also enjoyed a high overall utilization rate in November. All of PPC’s conventional units, except for Lavrio IV, Komotini and Megalopoli V, registered utilization rates of more than 60 percent during November.

More specifically, the utilization rate at Agios Dimitrios ranged between 69 and 75 percent, Amynteos achieved a rate of 59 to 60 percent, Kardia registered utilization rates of between 64 and 70 percent, and Lavrio V struck 64 percent.

The utility’s natural gas-fuelled power plant in Aliveri registered the highest utilization rate in November, this being 83 percent.

As for units operated by independent producers, Energiaki Thessalonikis led with a utilization rate of 69 percent, followed by Protergia (64%) and Korinthos Power (62%).

In terms of energy sources used for electricity generation, lignite was ranked first in November with a 54 percent share and total output of 1.53 million MWh, ahead of natural gas, which registered a 41 percent share and output of 1.52 million MWh.